Local News

Hotel industry the right fit for Bedford Springs manager

Burroughs set her sights on hospitality career at early age

BEDFORD -- Amanda Burroughs knew from a very young age what she wanted to do for a career.

"I always knew I wanted to be in hotels since I was a little kid. I used to build hotels with Legos," Burroughs said. "I traveled with my family to Canada and stayed in Embassy Suites, it was magical, I always liked to travel. I love people, my social battery never goes low."

Burroughs, general manager at Omni Bedford Springs Resort since November 2023, was recently recognized by Pennsylvania Business Central as one of top women CEOs and leaders for 2026.

"It was a huge surprise and an honor. The chamber nominated me, I have a lot of admiration and respect for Kellie (Goodman Shaffer) and the chamber. For her to recognize me was a huge honor and definitely a surprise," Burroughs said.

"Amanda has been a breath of fresh air for our community. Her enthusiasm is contagious, and her ability to build and recognize her team is inspiring. She has created a culture where local members of the Omni team have incredible opportunities to grow and lead and she's made a concerted effort to further connect the resort to the community at large; that cooperation and collaboration has been a joy to see," said Shaffer, chamber president/CEO.

Burroughs grew up in the Seattle, Wash., area and graduated from Skyline High School in nearby Sammamish in 2003. She graduated from the University of Nevada at Las Vegas in 2007 with a bachelor's degree in hotel administration with a focus on hospitality.

She needed an internship and landed at Disney World in Orlando, Fla., for six months working as a "resort hopper" and as a housekeeper, front desk agent and bell person.

She started her hotel career at The Mirage in Las Vegas in 2005 as a guest services representative and held several positions, including assistant hotel manager and front office manager during her 5.5 years there.

The Mirage was a 3,000-room hotel and had one of the first mega casinos.

"It was unique as far as hotels go. It had a casino and lots of options to make guests' stay special. We did a lot of fun things and I met a lot of celebrities such as Guns and Roses, Kevin James, and Fergie from Black Eyed Peas," Burroughs said.

In November 2010, She moved on to work as front office manager at Gaylord National in the Washington, D.C., area.

"That experience taught me how important culture and the culture of a company is. I went to Omni and the culture was something we believed in and was a focus," Burroughs said.

She joined Omni Hotels & Resorts in January 2012 as front office manager at the Shoreham in Washington, D.C.

"There were 800 rooms there. It was like a resort in the middle of the city," Burroughs said.

She moved to Dallas, Texas, to serve as corporate operations manager from December 2014 to July 2018 before returning to the Shoreham where she held several positions until November 2023.

While at the Shoreham, she heard about the opening for general manager at Omni Bedford Springs Resort.

"I knew I wanted to become a general manager, that was my career goal. Bedford Springs is where we went on vacation, it was just two hours away. We would come here on weekends, my husband, my son and I loved this. When this became available we considered it," Burroughs said. "We probably visited here ten times. My son went swimming for the first time and took his first steps in the hotel lobby. This place is special to us. I came here in the summer of 2023 and fell in love with the people and how passionate and dedicated they are; this is a special place."

Bedford Springs is a lot different than Las Vegas and the Mirage.

"As soon as you pull into Bedford you take a sigh and a deep breath, it is a wonderful change of pace, so relaxing. It is really different from Las Vegas, which is like Grand Central station. Vegas is the opposite of Bedford -- (Vegas) is fake, the whole town is all for show, it is a transient town, people move there from all over. Bedford is genuine and the people are tied to the community, it is the antithesis of Las Vegas," Burroughs said.

Burroughs said her position at Bedford Springs is her favorite job.

"This job has been my favorite, the best job in our company. I love being the decision maker and I love being creative. I love the things we have going on and see different things come to fruition," Burroughs said. "I enjoy the people I work with, I love this team, they do anything for the guests and each other, they really care about the place. It is hard to find people to go the extra mile and they are a pretty special team."

Burroughs is active in the community, serving as treasurer for the Bedford County Development Association and secretary for Discover Bedford County, and she is active with Downtown Bedford Inc.

"Amanda understands the importance of collaboration and building strong relationships between the resort and the community. As a BCDA board member, she brought valuable experience in finance, real estate and marketing to the table, along with a genuine commitment to support local business, education and community initiatives," said Bette Slayton, retired BCDA president/CEO.

"Her vision, enthusiasm and experience turn good ideas into meaningful results. She has a wonderful way of bringing people together and making great things happen," Slayton added.

Burroughs is one of those people who walk into a room and immediately bring energy with her, said Brooke Kelly, president/CEO of Discover Bedford County.

"What stands out to me the most about Amanda is that she could have easily focused all her energy on running the Omni Bedford Springs Resort, which is a huge responsibility. Instead, she's made a real effort to become part of the entire Bedford County community. She recognizes that the success of the resort and the success of the county go hand in hand," Kelly said. "As a member of our Discover Bedford County board, she brings great perspective, fresh ideas, and a genuine willingness to help move things forward. She's building relationships, supporting local businesses, and finding ways to connect the resort to the broader community. I think that's what makes her leadership special."

Burroughs has been a wonderful partner to Downtown Bedford Inc. and the downtown business community, said Lindsay Salas, DBI's Main Street Manager.

"She is kind, approachable, and always willing to help however she can. One thing I really appreciate about Amanda is that she genuinely cares about Bedford. Of course, she wants the resort to be successful, but she also wants to see our downtown businesses, local organizations, and community succeed," Salas said. "Amanda has done a tremendous job in her role at Omni Bedford Springs. The resort continues to do well, and I believe its strong occupancy reflects the hard work and leadership she brings to her position. What stands out to me, though, is that even with all the responsibilities that come with managing a resort, she still makes time for our community."

When not on the job, Burroughs likes to travel and spend time with her family.

"We love to travel, Disney is fun. We like baseball, our son plays baseball and football. We follow the Washington Nationals. I am a (Seattle) Seahawks fan. We have a goal to make it to all of the major league baseball stadiums. We have been to about 10 of the 30," Burroughs said.

As far as the future, Burroughs is looking forward to a renovation project at Bedford Springs next year.

"Some day I would like to become area managing director. I would work out of here but support other hotels, that is at least five years down the road. I would be able to do both, that would be the best of both worlds," Burroughs said.

Mirror Staff Writer Walt Frank is at 814-946-7467.

The Burroughs file

Name: Amanda Burroughs

Age: 41

Position: General manager at Omni Bedford Springs Resort

Education: 2003 graduate of Skyline High School, Sammamish, Wash.; 2007 graduate of the University of Nevada at Las Vegas with a bachelor's degree in hotel administration with a focus on hospitality.

Family: Husband, Ryan works at Lampire Biological Laboratories; and son, Grant, 13.

Quote: "I am able to make quick decisions, you need to listen to opinions but sometimes you need to act quickly. Someone has to take control, that is a quality that I feel that I have."